The 12th annual Maha Festival — a multi-day, multi-faceted celebration of music and discovery in Omaha, Nebraska — is happening Wednesday through Saturday, August 5-8, 2020.
Wednesday’s events will span multiple venues along the South 13th Street neighborhood known as Little Bohemia; Thursday will be hosted by multiple venues in the Blackstone District, including the soon-to-open boutique Cottonwood Hotel; and Friday and Saturday will take place throughout Aksarben Village.
The four days will feature musical performances, conference-style speaker engagements, plus elements of art, craft beer, food, literature, wellness, and more. New to the roster is Omaha Lit Fest, an annual event that places the spotlight on national and local authors, taking place in conjunction with Maha Festival on August 5 and 6. Maha will also partner with the Nebraska Craft Brewers Guild to bring a unique, new regional craft beer experience to the festival on August 8. The essence of Big Omaha, the conference known for entrepreneurship and innovation that Maha brought under its umbrella in 2018, will continue to live on through the festival’s conference-style events.
Maha Festival attendance reached 14,500 people last August, including a sold-out Saturday featuring 2020 Grammy Award winner Lizzo as she headlined a music festival for the first time in her career at Maha. Other recent indie and pop artists who have performed include Jenny Lewis, Courtney Barnett, Weezer, and Father John Misty.
The 2020 festival will take place one week earlier than it has in past years. This eliminates any potential conflict with back-to-school dates, so that more attendees from near and far can experience this wide array of Omaha-centric programming.
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Maha’s goal is to help put Omaha “on the map” and maintain a competitive ranking for overall city livability. “With the expansion of partnerships and locations this year, we’re bringing together even more cultural aspects unique to our community, and putting them on display throughout a concentrated and high-energy timeframe,” says Maha Executive Director Lauren Martin. “We want to engage residents while also attracting people to the area to experience all that Omaha has to offer.”
More details — including ticket pricing and on-sale dates, lineups, event schedule, and volunteer registration — are coming soon. In addition to earning a complimentary event pass, volunteers also enjoy the perk of knowing the lineup before the general public. Join the email list at MahaFestival.com for the latest info.
